Swivel supported drapery hanger for use with traverse rods having a rearwardly opening slot

ABSTRACT

A DRAPERY MATERIAL CARRIER SYSTEM HAVING A HOLLOW TRANVERSE ROD WITH AT LEAST ONE REARWARDLY OPENING SLOT THEREIN. A PLURALITY OF CARRIERS, EACH PROJECTING THROUGH THE REARWARDLY OPENING SLOT, ARE MOVABLE ALONG THE ROD AND HAVE A FIRST PORTION WITHIN THE ROD GREATER IN DIMENSION THAN THE WIDTH OF THE SLOT. A SECOND PORTION EXTERNALLY OF THE TRAVERSE ROD IS EITHER FIXABLY OR SWIVELABLY CONNECTED TO THE FIRST PORTION AND HAS A HANGER MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH FOR SUPPORTING THE DRAPERY MATERIAL. AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT IS ARRANGED ALONG THE ROD AND EACH OF THE CARRIERS IS FORMED OF A MOLDABLE SYNTHETIC ORGANIC PLASTIC MATERIAL AND CONNECTED AT SPACED INTERVALS TO AND ALONG THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT BY HAVING A PORTION THEREOF MOLDED THEREROUND.

Nov. 2, 1971 J, A. FORD. ET AL 3,616,486 SWIVEL SUPPORTED DRAPERY HANGER FOR USE WITH TRAVERSE RODS HAVING A REARWARDLY OPENING SLOT Filed Sept. 25, 1969 I m vErvroRs JAMES A. Form BY N Z. "ape 0210M,

United States Patent "ice US. Cl. 16--87.2 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A drapery material carrier system having a hollow traverse rod with at least one rearwardly opening slot therein. A pluality of carriers, each projecting through the rearwardly opening slot, are movable along the rod and have a first portion within the rod greater in dimension than the width of the slot. A second portion externally of the traverse rod is either fixably or swivelably connected to the first portion and has hanger means associated therewith for supporting the drapery material. An elongated flexible element is arranged along the rod and each of the carriers is formed of a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and connected at spaced intervals toand along the flexible element by having a portion thereof molded therearound.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of .application Ser. No. 676,104, filed Oct. 18, 1967.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a drapery material carried system and, more particularly, relates to a carrier system for use with a traverse rod having a rearwardly opening slot therein wherein each of a plurality of carriers of the carrier system is formed form a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and connected to an elongated flexible element at spaced intervals along the flexible element by having a portion thereof molded therearound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Drapery systems have been known for some time wherein a traverse rod is equipped with a plurality of individual drapery carriers which project through a longitudinal slot therein. The individual drapery carriers are slideable with respect to the traverse rod and have openings therein which receive drapery or pleater hooks for supporting the drapery material.

Drapery carrier systems wherein a plurality of individual carriers are interconnected by a flexible element such as a string of a flexible tape are also known. It is one purpose of this type of drapery carrier system to maintain a uniform spacing between the carriers when the drapery material is in a closed position and a further purpose to cause the interconnecting string to pull the drapery material closed rather than requiring such pulling force to be transmitted through the drapery material itself. The length of string or tape cooperates at spaced intervals with the carriers connected to the drapery to limit the spacing between the suspension points, when the drapery is fully opened, to a distance less than the developed length of the drapery fabric between such points. This causes the drapery fabric to be maintained in a partially folded condition thereby simulating pleats.

3,616,486 Patented Nov. 2, 1971 In order best to utilize this type of a system, it is desirable that the drapery material be supported in a manner to permit the sections of the drapery material between the suspension points, or pleats, to swivel about a generally vertical axis so that when the curtains are opened to expose the window or doorway, the pleats will be closely packed together in a neat and compact manner to one side thereof. This has meant in the past that some portion of the carrier be swivelable about a generally vertical axis relative to the traverse rod. Known carriers are presently being used in traverse rods having downwardly opening slots to facilitate the swivel movement of the carrier. As far as we are aware, there is no drapery carrier, other than the one shown in said Ser. No. 676; 104, which is made of a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and connected to an elongated flexible element at spaced intervals therealong by being molded therearound and is utilizable with a traverse rod having a rearwardly opening slot. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a drapery material carrier system which is capable of use with nonpleated drapery material but with the spacing between the carriers limited to make the drapery material have a pleated effect and with traverse rods having a rearwardly opening slot therein. Thus, existing installations utilizing traverse rods having a rearwardly opening slot can be interchangeably used with or without drapery materials having pleats sewn therein and thereby making it unnecessary to change the style of the traverse rod to accommodate the various types of drapery material.

Accordingly, the objects of this invention include:

(1) To provide a drapery carrier system which is securable to an elongated flexible element to maintain a predetermined spacing between the carrier elements.

(2) To provide a drapery material carrier system, as aforesaid, which will provide in an easy, inexpensive and convenient manner, a pleated appearance to an unpleated panel of material suspended from a plurality of such carriers in an existing traverse rod installation wherein the elongated slot opens rearwardly.

(3) To provide a drapery material carrier system, as aforesaid, which is easy to manufacture and simple to use.

(4) To provide a drapery material carrier system, as aforesaid, wherein the manual procedure of trying a plurality of drapery carriers together has been eliminated.

(5 To provide a drapery material carrier system which results in an improved appearance of closed drapes.

(6) To provide a drapery material carrier system which is utilizable with presently known traverse rod constructions having a rearwardly opening slot therein.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partially sectioned of one form of the drapery material carrier system for use with a side opening traverse rod;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second form of the invention for use with a side opening traverse rod;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the carrier illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 4.

'Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference. The words front and rear will designate directions to the right and to the left, respectively, of the traverse rods illustrated in FIGS.

1 and 3. The words in and out will refer to the directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the device and designated parts thereof. Such terminology will include the words above specifically mentioned, as well as up" and down, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, the objects of the invention are met primarily by providing a drapery material carrier system having a plurality of carriers formed from a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and connected at spaced intervals to and along a flexible element by being molded therearound wherein the carriers are mounted on a traverse rod having a rearwardly opening slot therein. Preferably, a hanger portion of the carriers is arranged to swivel relative to a body portion of the carriers and to the traverse rod about a generally vertical axis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIG. 1, a drapery material carrier system comprises a hollow traverse rod 11 having a top wall 12, a front wall 13, a bottom wall 14 and a rear wall 16. The rear wall 16 has a longitudinal slot 17 therein extending the full length of the traverse rod 11.

A drapery material carrier 18 comprises a head portion 19 which is mounted internally of the hollow traverse rod 11 and has a neck portion 21 fixedly connected thereto and extending outwardly therefrom through the slot 17. A body portion 22 is fixedly connected to the neck portion 21 externally of the hollow traverse rod 11 and a hanger portion extends downwardly therefrom terminating in a drapery hook holding portion 23 having an opening therethrough for receiving a drapery hook 24 (illustrated in broken lines). The drapery hook 24 is secured in the usual manner to the drapery material 26 (also illustrated in broken lines).

The head portion 19 has a cylindrical recess 27 therein which has an annular lip 28 projecting inwardly adjacent the mouth thereof. The recess 27 opens to the interior of the hollow traverse rod 11.

A cylindrical button 29 is preferably made of a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and is secured to an elongated flexible element 31, such as a string, by being molded therearound. An annular bead 32 projects radially outwardly from the button 29 adjacent the left end thereof. The diameter of the button is slightly less than the diameter of the opening defined by the annular lip 28. The diameter of the bead 32 on the button 29 is greater than the inner diameter of the annular lip 28, but less than the diameter of the recess 27. The button 29 is releasably securable in the recess 27 due to the fact that the annular members 28 and 32 are slightly resilient thereby permitting the bead 32 to move into the recess 27 past the lip 28. It is contemplated that a plurality of such buttons 29 can be moldably secured to the flexible element 31 so that a plurality of carriers 18 can be spaced at predetermined intervals along the flexible element to maintain a predetermined spacing therebetween. The cylindrical construction of both of the recess 27 and the button 29 permits a swiveling of the carrier 18 relative to the button 29 about the central axis of the recess 27 and button 29.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modified drapery material carrier system 10A. The traverse rod 11A is identical to the traverse rod 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 and further detailed discussion thereof is unnecessary. Parts of the modified carrier system 10A will be referred to by the same reference numerals designating corresponding parts of the carrier system 10 but with the suflix A added thereto.

The drapery carrier 18A comprises a slider member 36 formed from a moldable synthetic organic plastic material. The slider member 36 is generally H-shaped (FIG. 3) and is comprised of a pair of vertical parallel legs 37 and 38 interconnected at the midpoint of each thereof by a web member 39. The upper portion of each of the legs 37 and 38 and the web portion 39 define an upwardly opening groove 41. Similarly, the lower portions of each of the legs 37 and 38 and the web portion 39 define a downwardly opening groove 42. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the uper section 16B of the rear wall 16A is received in the groove 41 whereas the lower section 16C of the rear wall 16A is received in the groove 42 so that the slider member 36 is guided longitudinally of the traverse rod 11A by the portions of the rear wall 16A which extend into the grooves 41 and 42.

The edges of the legs 37 and 38 are chamfered as at 43 (FIG. 4) adjacent the ends of the grooves 41 and 42 to facilitate a sliding of the slider member 36 longitudinally of the traverse rod 11A. The spacing between the internal surfaces 44 and 46 of the legs 37 and 38 may, if desired, be suflicient that a rear wall of the traverse rod comprising two telescoped sections can easily slide therethrough. That is, the chamfered edges 43 on the legs 37 and 38 may, where desired, be utilized to facilitate a smooth sliding movement of the slider member 36 between 21 section of the traverse rod wherein only one thickness of the rear wall is present to a section of the traverse rod wherein two thicknesses of the rear wall are present such as in the telescoped section of the rod.

An elongated rib 47 is integrally secured to the outer side of the leg 38 of the slider member 36 and is molded around the elongated flexible element 31A.

A pair of spaced flanges 48 and 49 are integrally secured to the outer side of the leg 37 and extend outwardly therefrom. The spaced flanges 48 and 49 have a cylindrical opening 51 (FIG. 4) extending therethrough, said opening being larger in diameter than the spacing between the flanges. The outer ends of the flanges 48 and 49 are spaced by a gap 52 which communicates with the opening 51. The upper surfaces of the flanges 48 and 49 have a spherical socket 53 provided therein encircling the opening 51. The diameter of the spherical socket 53 is larger than the diameter of the opening 51 and, as a result, an outer portion of the leg 37 is removed as at 54 (FIG. 4).

A stem 56 comprises an elongated cylindrical body member 57 made of a moldable synthetic organic plastic material having a spherical ball 58 affixed, as by being integrally formed, on the upper end thereof. The width of opening 52 is so chosen with respect to the diameter of stem 56, and with respect to the resiliency of the flanges 48 and 49 that said stems will be normally held as shown within said opening 51 but can, if desired, be snapped out therefrom through the opening 52.

An enlarged drapery mounting member 59 is secured, preferably integrally, to the lower end of the elongated body member 57 and has a sidewardly opening recess 61 therein. An annular lip 62 projects radially inwardly of the recess 61 adjacent the mouth thereof. An opening 63 extends through the bottom wall 64 of the recess 61 to provide a connecting means for permitting the placement of a hook therethrough to support drapery material in a manner similar to that illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 1.

If desired, drapery material 26A can be supplied with male snap fastening elements 69 (FIG. 3) secured, as by sewing, thereto which may be received in the recess 61 in a convenient manner to support the drapery material as is shown in FIG. 3. Still other known forms of drapery support may be provided as desired between the lower end of stem 56 and the drapery.

OPERATION The operation of the device embodying the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by the descriptive material presented hereinabove. However, for convenience, the operation of the device will be described in detail below.

In use, the drapery material carrier system is designed to carry drapery material for movement across any kind of an Opening in a wall, such as a window. The fastening of each of the carriers 18 and 18A to the elongated flexible element 31 and 31A, such as the string, is done before the insertion of the hangers into the traverse rod 17 and 17A by snapping the buttons 29 into place in the case of carriers 18 or at the time of molding the carriers in the case of the carriers 18A. Once the carriers are placed in the rod, they will be'maintained at a fixed spacing by the predetermined length of string between the carriers. The drapery material may be provided with drapery hooks for either form of carriers herein shown or, for carriers 18A, may have a tape with snap fastener elements secured thereto sewn to the drapery material, which hooks or snap fastener elements are received in the recess 61 of the stem 56. If desired, the lower end of portion 23 (FIG. 1) may be provided with a snap receiving a recess similar to opening 61 and for the same purpose. The snap fastener elements or the hooks, whichever are used in a given case, are preferably secured at suspension points, as at 66 in FIG. 2, which are the midpoint of the section of material between the pleats 67 and 68. The spacing of said fastening means is greater than the spacing between the carriers permitted by the string 31 or 31A whereby to form the desired pleated appearance when the drapes are closed, all as set forth in more detail in said Ser. No. 676,104.

While the embodiment of FIG. 1 is effective, the embodiment of FIGS. 2-6 provides a better operation for most uses inasmuch as, when the drapery material is moved from a closed position to an opened position or vice versa, the sections of drapery material between the pleats 67 and 68 will pivot about a vertical axis passing through the suspension point 66 which will effect a rotation of the stem 56. Rotation of the stem 56 will effect a rotation of the ball 58 within the socket 53 to facilitate a smooth opening of the pleated sections or, and upon an opening of the drapes to expose an opening, permit a close pack back of the drapery material at the edges of the window.

In all of the foregoing it has been assumed that the plastic material is of a type, such as nylon, which will shrink sufliciently upon cooling to clamp itself tightly to the string 31 and 31A upon which it is molded. If a plastic is used which is nonshrinking, then other means may be used to fix the string to the carriers 18 and 18A, such as otfsetting, knotting or looping the string within the carrier mold prior to or during the molding of the carrier so that the carrier when formed will still not be able to move lengthwise of the string. It is also desirable to use a self-lubricating material, such as nylon, for molding the hangers of FIGS. 2-6 in order that the stems 56 will swivel smoothly in the sockets 53.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail for illustrative pur poses, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts lie within the scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a drapery material carrier system, the combination comprising:

a hollow traverse rod having at least one rearwardly opening slot therein;

a plurality of carrier means each projecting through said slot in said rod and movable with respect thereto, a slide portion thereof having head means within said rod greater in dimension than the width of said slot and an extension member projecting horizontally through said rearwardly opening slot, and a hanger portion of said carrier means outside of said traverse rod connected to said extension member and having mounting means associated therewith for supporting said material;

said slide portion and said hanger portion including cooperating means for pivotally supporting said hanger portion for movement about a substantially vertical axis;

an elongated flexible element arranged along said rod;

and

at least some of said carrier means having a connecting portion of each thereof formed from a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and connected at spaced intervals to and along said flexible element by being molded therearound.

2. The drapery carrier system defined in claim 1, wherein said pivotally supporting means comprises an upwardly opening socket positioned externally of said rod, said hanger portion having a ball element fixed to the upper end thereof and received in said socket to permit a pivotal movement of said hanger portion about said vertical rods.

3. The drapery carrier system defined in claim 1, wherein said slide portion is fixedly secured to said hanger portion, said hanger portion extending downwardly from said rearwardly opening slot and having means on the lower end thereof for supporting said drapery system.

4. The drapery carrier system defined in claim 1, wherein said carrier means is an integral portion of the head means thereof.

5. The drapery carrier system defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting portion is secured to said carrier means between said head means and an unslotted wall of said hollow traverse rod.

6. The drapery carrier system defined in claim 1, wherein said extension member includes a pair of spaced flanges, a first portion of said flanges adjacent said head means being spaced apart further than a hanger portion of said flanges remote from said head means, said hanger portion extending through the spacing between said slide portion of said flanges and being swivelably supported on said flanges.

7. In the drapery carrier system defined in claim 1, wherein said extension member has an opening therethrough positioned for vertical alignment in the normal operating position of said carrier means, wherein said hanger portion extends through said opening and is provided with means for supporting same swivelably upon said flanges.

8. In a drapery material carrier system, the combinatlon comprising:

a hollow traverse rod having at least one rearwardly opening slot therein;

a plurality of carrier means each projecting through said slot in said rod and movable with respect thereto, a slide portion thereof having head means within said rod greater in dimension than the width of said slot and an extension member projecting horizontally through said rearwardly opening slot, and a hanger portion of said carrier means outside of said traverse rod connected to said extension member and having mounting means associated therewith for supporting said material, said slide portion being fixedly secured to said hanger portion, said hanger portion extending downwardly from said rearwardly opening slot and having means on the lower end thereof for supporting said drapery system;

an elcclmgated flexible element arranged along said rod;

at least some of said carrier means having a connecting portion of each thereof formed from a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and connected at spaced intervals to and along said flexible element by being molded therearound, said connecting portion of said carrier means including means for releasably connecting same to said carrier means.

9. In a drapery material carrier system, the combination comprising:

a hollow traverse rod having at least one rearwardly opening slot therein;

a plurality of carrier means each projecting through 8 said slot, and a hanger portion of said carrier means outside of said traverse rod connected to said extension member and having mounting means associated therewith for supporting said material;

an elongated flexible element arranged along said rod; at least some of said carrier means having a connecting portion of each thereof formed from a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and connected at spaced intervals to and along said flexible element by being molded therearound; and swivel means adapted to permit a relative rotatable movement between said mounting means and said said material, said extension member including a 10 pair of spaced flanges, a first portion of said flanges adjacent said head means being spaced apart further than a second portion of said flanges remote from traverse rod.

said head means, said hanger portion extending 11. A door or drapery material carrier system accordthrough the spacing between said first portion of said ing to claim 10, wherein said swivel means is adapted to flanges and being swivelab-ly supported on said permit a free relative rotatable movement between said flanges, the diameter of said hanger portion being mounting means and said traverse rod about a vertical normally greater than the spacing between said Secaxis.

end portion of said flanges but so related thereto 12. A door or drapery material carrier system accordand to the resiliency of the flanges that said hanger ing to claim 10, wherein said swivel means is adapted to portion can be inserted into and withdrawn out from permit a free relative rotatable movement between said its operating position within the spacing between mounting means and said traverse rod about a horisaid first portion of said flanges by being snapped zontal axis through the spacing between said second portion of References Cited Sald flanges; UNITED STATES PATENTS anaellgngated flexible element arranged along said rod, 1,818,786 8/1931 Bond 16O 346 at least some of said carrier means having a connecting portion of each thereof formed from a moldable synthetic organic plastic material and con- FOREIGN PATENTS nected at spaced intervals to and along said flexible 864 652 4/1961 Great Britain 16O 346 element by being molded therearound. n 10. In a door or drapery materials carrier system, the combination comprising:

a hollow traverse rod having at least one slot therein; a plurality of carrier means each projecting through said slot in said rod and movable with respect thereto, a slide portion thereof having head means within said rod greater in dimension than the width of said slot and an extension member projecting through OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1, 151, 102, July 1963.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

